Pruning-shears.



UNITED STATES Patented June 2, 1903.

PATENT OFFICE.

JAMESB. RHODES, OF GRAND RAP-IDS,MICHIGAN.

PRulalNe-SHEARS.V

SPECIEIcATIONfOrmmg part of Letters Patent No. 729,894,01ated June 2, 190e. Application led August 23,1902- Serial No. 120,753L' (N0 model.)

To all whom, it mag/concern:

Beit known that I, JAMES B. RHODES, a citizen of theUnited States, residing at GrandRapids, in the county of Kent and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Pruning-Shears 5 andI do hereby declare the following `to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make andvuse the same.

My invention relates toimprovements in` pruning-shears; and its object is to provide means whereby two shear-blades having oppositely-inclined chisel edges may be operated successfully. I-Ieretofore all attempts to utilize such shear-blades `in making heavy cuts has :resulted in springing the blades toward each other to such an extent thatthey would override and cut into each other, and thus be rendered useless.

My invention consists in providing such blades with inwardly-projecting extensions at their outer ends adapted to overlap each other as the blades are closed upon' the object to be cut and before the cutting has' progressed far enough to spring the blades, and thus operateas guides to hold the blades from springing inward toward each other, as will more fully appear by reference to the accompanying drawings, in whicl1- Figure l is a side elevation of a device embodying my invention with the blades opened.

Fig. 2 is the same with the blades closed. Fig." 3 is the same viewed at right angles to Fig. 2, and Fig. Llis a transverse section on the line` 4 4 of Fig. 2 looking toward the overlapping ends of the blades.

A represents a pair of short stout shearblades of the usual construction and having oppositely -inclined chisel edges B, -said blades being pivoted `to each other at C'and provided with handles'D." Sofar the device is of well-known construction; and my invention consists in the addition to the outer ends of these blades A, consisting of the inwardlyprojecting extensions E, having rounded surother.

faces and not adaptedto act as cutters, but intended to overlap andengage each other before the operation of cutting has progressed suiiciently to spring the blades toward each These extensions thus serve as guides for the outer ends of the blades and by slidably engaging each other support the ends of the blades against the lateral strain due to the action of the chisel edges of the same, and thus prevent these edgesfrom overlapping and damaging each other. These end extensions E also serve to engage any object of such size that the blades would be 4 opened so wide as to have a tendency to slide endwise when closed upon the same. They 4thus perform the incidental function of holding-the'blades from slipping endivise upon `the object operated upon.

i Having thus fully described my invention,

-what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is;-

l. In combination withl shear-blades, inwardly-projecting extensions on the ends of `the blades, adapted to overlap and slidably projecting extensions on said blades, adapted to overlap and slidably engage each other, andprevent springing of the blades toward each other.

3 .1 In combination with shear-blades having l oppositely-inclined, chisel edges, inwardlyprojecting ,extensions on the ends of the blades, andhaving rounded non-cutting surr faces, and also adapted to overlap and slidfablyl engage each other to `prevent lateral springingfof the blades toward each other. In testimony whereof I- affix my signature 'inpresence of two witnesses.

JAMES E. RHODES.

Witnesses:

LUTHER V. MoULToN, GEORGIANA CnAcE. 

